PITWALL
F1 RACE STRATEGY SIMULATOR Β· 2026
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ROUND
3

Japanese Grand Prix

2026-03-29Β·53 laps

Antonelli completed a hat-trick of wins to open his 2026 campaign, converting pole at Suzuka ahead of Piastri and Leclerc. A Safety Car mixed up the order β€” Piastri, Russell and Leclerc lost positions by pitting just before it deployed. Hamilton ran an inverted Hard-Medium strategy to climb from P6 to P6 at the finish.

Race Winner
Antonelli
Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Fastest Lap
1:32.432
Antonelli
Conditions
β˜€ Dry

Key Moments

πŸš—LAP 21Safety Car deployed β€” Stroll retires, field bunches
⚑LAP 20Piastri, Russell and Leclerc pit just before SC β€” lose ground to Antonelli who stays out
🏎LAP 20Bearman retires β€” contact and mechanical failure

Why They Lost

Strategy and race factors that shaped the result for drivers who finished behind Antonelli.

P2PiastriMcLaren Mastercard
  • β–ΈPitted 13 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 18 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.
P3LeclercScuderia Ferrari HP
  • β–ΈPitted 14 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 17 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.
P4RussellMercedes-AMG Petronas
  • β–ΈPitted 10 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 21 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.
P5NorrisMcLaren Mastercard
  • β–ΈPitted 15 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 16 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.
P7GaslyBWT Alpine
  • β–ΈPitted 12 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 19 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.
P8VerstappenOracle Red Bull Racing
  • β–ΈPitted 17 laps earlier than Antonelli (lap 14 vs 31), exposing the next stint to more wear.

Strategy Breakdown

Replay any strategy in the PITWALL simulator β†’

POSDriverStrategyTimeGap
1
Antonelli
Mercedes-AMG Petronas
P -1.7%T 0.93O 1.08
M→HL31
1:28:03.403+0.000β–Ά Simulate
2
Piastri
McLaren Mastercard
P -1.3%T 0.94O 1.05
M→HL18
1:28:17.125+13.722β–Ά Simulate
3
Leclerc
Scuderia Ferrari HP
P -1.6%T 0.92O 1.08
M→HL17
1:28:18.673+15.270β–Ά Simulate
4
Russell
Mercedes-AMG Petronas
P -2.0%T 0.90O 1.05
M→HL21
1:28:19.157+15.754β–Ά Simulate
5
Norris
McLaren Mastercard
P -1.4%T 0.95O 1.10
M→HL16
1:28:26.882+23.479β–Ά Simulate
6
Hamilton
Scuderia Ferrari HP
P -1.5%T 0.86O 1.15
H→ML33
1:28:28.440+25.037β–Ά Simulate
7
Gasly
BWT Alpine
P 0.8%T 0.98O 1.00
M→HL19
1:28:35.743+32.340β–Ά Simulate
8
Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing
P -2.2%T 0.92O 1.25
S→HL14
1:28:36.080+32.677β–Ά Simulate
9
Lawson
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls
P 0.8%T 1.00O 1.05
M→HL33
1:28:53.583+50.180β–Ά Simulate
10
Ocon
Haas F1 Team
P 1.0%T 1.02O 0.98
M→HL19
1:28:54.619+51.216β–Ά Simulate